The present invention relates to a method for avoiding a collision in a lane change maneuver of a vehicle from an instantaneous lane to a target lane, where objects in a lateral rearward space of the vehicle are detected by means of an ambience monitoring device and measures are taken to influence the vehicle.
The invention further relates to a device that is appropriate to implement the method.
For example, methods with the name ‘lane change assist system’ have become known, where the driver of a motor vehicle is assisted in a lane change. More particularly, an alarm to the driver is triggered by this method when the danger of a possible collision of the vehicle with an object is detected, which has been sensed by means of a suitable ambience monitoring device.
More particularly, German patent DE 43 13 568 C1 discloses a method of guidance for a lane change maneuver from an instantaneous lane to an adjacent target lane. To this end, the front space and the rear space of at least the adjacent target lane is monitored for the desired lane change, the distances from objects being detected there, especially vehicles, and their speeds are measured, and safety distances are calculated based on this data. When all distances measured are in excess of the calculated safety distances, this is identified as a possible lane change. During cornering maneuvers, the steering angle is used to allocate the detected objects to the respective lane.
German patent DE 195 26 452 C1 describes a lateral rearward space monitoring device, where an alarm signal is generated when an object is sensed in a lateral rearward space of the vehicle, which is moving at higher speed than one's own vehicle and a lane change is requested, which is detected by way of a turn indicator position or a steering angle position.
Further, German patent DE 195 07 957 C1 discloses a vehicle with an optical scanning device for a lateral range of the road. The scanning device comprises several infrared transmitting elements arranged side by side and an associated CCD array as well as a subsequent evaluating unit, which is designed both for contrast control and for contour detection. This system is used to scan the road surface in order to determine a respective road limitation and to trigger an alarm signal when leaving the roadway.
Arrangements have been made in the prior art systems that a predefined alarm signal is generated in the event of an intended lane change, when a faster vehicle is in the lateral rearward range of one's own vehicle. In particular when the overtaking vehicle is approaching only slowly, alarm signals will often be triggered even if the situation is mastered by the driver.
The shortcoming involved is that the driver is inclined to a reduced acceptance of the alarm signals and ignores the alarm signals. In the following, the alarm signals are felt to be disturbing, and the risk rises that the driver will perform lane changes even at a highly increased danger of collision in spite of the alarm signals.
In addition, there is often the problem that a danger situation develops very dynamically so that the driver is not in a position to react with a sufficient rate of rapidity to the alarm, steering the vehicle into a dangerous area.
In view of the above, an object of the invention is to better adapt measures for the prevention of a collision of the vehicle during lane change to the danger of collision that prevails depending on the situation.